The present invention relates to extraction and drying apparatus.
Apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,572,923, 5,170,697 and 4,776,104, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference, include extraction systems for extracting an effective ingredient from a material such as malt, soybean or the like. Such apparatus comprises a pulverizing minute particle generating tank including means for heating a reservoir of water to a predetermined temperature and a means for pulverizing or atomizing water; an extracting device connected to the pulverizing minute particle generating tank, which extracting device holds a raw material layer for adhering an effective ingredient of raw material to the pulverized minute particles as the pulverizing minute particles pass through the raw material layer; a condensing device connected to the extracting device for liquefying the pulverized minute particles that have passed through and extracted an effective ingredient from the raw material layer; a reserve tank into which the water liquefied at the condensing device empties; a blower provided in a path between the reserve tank and the pulverizing minute particle generating tank for decompressing the raw material layer within the extracting device; and a cooling means for cooling the condensing device and the reserve tank.
It would be desirable to improve the extracting and drying efficiency of such apparatus, especially in view of environmental factors including the desire to reduce global warming. In addition, it would be desirable to simplify the operation of the apparatus, saving time and effort for the ultimate user.
The problems of the prior art have been overcome by the present invention, which provides a heating, extracting and condensing system and method for efficiently recovering an ingredient from a raw material. The condenser is a housing having one or more fins or the like that are cooled by one or more thermoelectric coolers.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the extraction apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the internal design of the extraction apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the internal design of the extraction apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the condensing portion of the extraction apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a top view of the condensing portion of the extraction apparatus of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the internal design of the extraction apparatus of the present invention.